


Are We There Yet?

by NoScrubs12345



Series: tis the season [23]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-27
Updated: 2014-02-27
Packaged: 2018-01-14 00:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1245709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoScrubs12345/pseuds/NoScrubs12345
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As they get ready to visit family for Christmas, Briallen worries about Santa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are We There Yet?

**Author's Note:**

> For [awdt](http://awdt.livejournal.com/)'s 2008 Christmas advent challenge. Day twenty-four: "milk, cookies, carrots and water."

“Tad?” Briallen asked, squirming as Ianto buckled her into her car seat. She looked up at him, bottom lip trembling and big blue eyes full of tears, and grabbed his shirt sleeve before he could step back. “Will Santa know we're at Auntie Rhia’s? Should we leave him a note?”

Ianto chuckled and crawled into the back seat, running a hand soothingly through her thick curls and wiping away her tears. “Of course he'll know, _cariad_.”

“How?” she sniffled and tried to wipe her nose on Ianto’s sleeve.

“He’s magic,” Ianto said and kissed the top of her head. “I remember the first Christmas I spent away from home. Your nan and granddad took your Aunt Rhiannon and me to visit our nan in the country. I was terrified Santa wouldn’t know how to find me.”

Briallen scrubbed at her eyes and sniffled. “What happened?”

“He left my presents at Nan’s,” Ianto said and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He sighed and she half-giggled, half-hiccoughed when it refused to stay put. “I worried for nothing.”

“Can I still leave milk and cookies for him at Auntie Rhia’s?”

“Of course you can,” Ianto chuckled, looking up as Jack opened the driver’s door. “And water and carrots for the reindeer too if you want. I don’t think Rhia and Uncle Johnny would mind.”

“Yay!” Briallen shouted, kicking her feet and clapping her hands together.

“Everything all right here?” Jack asked as he threw his greatcoat into the back seat. Briallen reached for it immediately, grunting as she stretched and pulled it over her small frame.

“Someone thought Santa wouldn’t find them,” Ianto said and tucked the coat tightly around her. He chuckled as she burrowed down into it.

“Tad sorted it,” she said seriously and nodded curtly.

“Good,” Jack said and reached back to ruffle her hair. He winked at Ianto as the man climbed out of the backseat. He turned back to Briallen and smiled tightly at her. “Are you forgetting anything, sweetheart?”

Briallen stared at him for a moment before she gasped and started trying to frantically look down at the floorboard. She made small noises of protests as she fought against the car seat and looked up at Jack. “I forgot Lizzie!”

Jack smiled and pulled the stuffed bear from behind his back. He chuckled as Briallen’s eyes lit up and reached for it. “She was on the couch.”

“Naughty, Lizzie,” Briallen cooed as she squeezed the bear to her chest and pulled Jack’s greatcoat close again. “Very, very naughty.”

Jack smiled and looked at Ianto over the top of the car. “Is that everything?”

“Should be,” Ianto said and opened the car door. “Traffic’s going to be murder.”

Jack sighed and got in the car. He closed the door and waited for Ianto to do the same before starting the engine. “I know and no SUV.”

Ianto chuckled and looked back at Briallen. “Do you really want this one trying to start World War Three again?”

“I can’t watch her and the road at the same time, Ianto,” Jack said and started to pull out of the driveway. “Besides, it was a onetime fluke. She said she was sorry.”

“That she did. Repeatedly,” Ianto said and turned back around in his seat as they started down the street. He sighed contentedly when Jack laid a hand on his thigh and let his head fall back against the seat.

“Are we there yet?” Briallen asked the moment they turned off their street.

“Not quite, sweetie,” Jack said with a laugh as Ianto groaned and slumped further down into his seat.

It was five minutes and two turns later before she asked again.


End file.
